Election Returns

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Absent a last minute Congressional deal, a government shutdown will begin at midnight tonight — and Pennsylvanians will be affected.

Some 71,000 federal workers in this state, including over 90 percent of the 25,000 workers in this region, will be furloughed without pay.

Only those needed for essential services will continue to work — like TSA officials out at the International Airport, certain law enforcement personnel and military service men and women although they won’t be paid until the shutdown is over.

The Federal Building in Pittsburgh will be open to the public but many of the agencies inside, sources say, have 100 percent furloughs.

All national parks will close, including Fort Necessity, and government agencies won’t process passports and visas.

While local VA hospitals will remain open, many VA services could be shut down by the end of the week.

More than 2.6 million Pennsylvanians are on social security.

Here’s the good news: even if there is a government shutdown, they’ll get their payments.

But here’s the bad news: the last time we went through this shutdown nonsense over 200,000 new applicants could not be processed, another 100,000 wanting benefits could not have their applications taken and over 800,000 folks calling social security had their phone calls go unanswered.

Mail delivery will continue because the U.S. Postal Service pays for itself and the federal courts can operate on fees for a couple weeks.

While local staff who work for Congress will not be paid, maybe it’s no surprise that Members of Congress will continue to collect their $174,000 salary during the shutdown.